M.Yu. Lermontov wrote the poem “The Death of a Poet” at the age of 23, in that terrible year when Russia lost its greatest genius, A.S. Pushkin (1837). On February 9, the news of the poet's duel reached Lermontov, and on the same day the poem spread in lists throughout St. Petersburg. Pushkin was mourned not only by relatives and people in his circle, but also by ordinary people - everyone who had ever read his works.
And therefore Lermontov’s poems found a response in the souls of millions of people. According to literary critic I.I. Panaev, “Lermontov’s poems on the poet’s death were copied in tens of thousands of copies, reread and learned by heart by everyone.” Of course, they also reached the authorities, who were deeply offended by Lermontov’s accusations and did not hesitate to send the unlucky poet into exile in the Caucasus.
In his poem, Lermontov sincerely expressed all his feelings and thoughts about the death of Alexander Sergeevich. Frankly speaking, Lermontov considered Pushkin’s death a “murder.” He blamed not only Dantes for the tragic death of the poet, but also society, and to an even greater extent. He reproached the world for slander, hypocrisy, insidious plans and stupid gossip, which destroyed the poet. “And having taken off the former wreath, they put a crown of thorns // entwined with laurels on it // But the secret needles severely // wounded the glorious brow;
Undoubtedly, in everything said by Lermontov in the poem “The Death of a Poet” there is some truth. But, nevertheless, it represents precisely Lermontov’s vision. The image of Pushkin that he created did not entirely correspond to reality. Lermontov believed that Pushkin fell victim in the fight against misunderstanding of society. “He rebelled against the opinions of the world // Alone as before... and killed!”, “His last moments were poisoned // By the insidious whispers of mocking ignoramuses, // And he died - with a vain thirst for vengeance, // With the annoyance of the secret of deceived hopes. » And these are already references to romanticism, from which Pushkin himself was far from. This poem, like all others, reveals Lermontov’s hatred of society and his romantic perception of the world. The unfortunate poet suffered all his life from dissatisfaction with life, from the inconsistency of his ideals with reality, and attributed the same qualities to Pushkin. In fact, A.S. was above society, he, unlike Lermontov, knew how not to notice “insignificant slanderers”, to ignore malicious ridicule (just as a proud lion does not pay attention to small birds impudently jumping on his back ). His creative gaze was directed to the future, past the chaos and bustle that reigned in society.
The poem “The Death of a Poet” is written in the form of a lyrical monologue, but it also contains elements of ode and elegy. Lermontov alternately angrily and cruelly hurls accusations at the “world”, and then indulges in sad reflections about the fate of A.S. Pushkin. The intonation in the poem is constantly changing - we see either bright, sublime, passionate, declamatory vocabulary characteristic of the ode genre; then smooth, thoughtful speech with memories, reflections and regrets, characteristic of elegy.
The size of the verse and rhyme also change depending on the theme and meaning of the stanza - the size ranges from 4 to 6 iambic feet, and all three types of rhyme are used - cross, paired, and encircling.
The vocabulary in the poem is very rich in epithets and metaphors: “petty insults”, “empty praise”, “pathetic babble”, “empty heart”, “envious and stuffy light” - the author rewards such cruel epithets to those whom he considers guilty of Pushkin’s death . Epithets related to the poet: “proud head”, “free, bold gift”, “wonderful genius”. It is clear that Lermontov even then treated Pushkin as a national treasure. He says with indignation that Dantes did not know “what he was raising his hand to.” Metaphors: “slave of honor”, “shame of petty insults”, “chorus of praise”, “fate’s verdict”, “bloody moment”, “taken by the grave”, etc.
As you know, the news about the fatal duel for Alexander Sergeevich overtook Lermontov during his illness.
The event deeply affected Lermontov. “The Death of a Poet” was rightly recognized by the indignant voice of the entire progressive society of Russia at that time: this social group had a negative attitude towards the aristocracy at the tsar’s court, which was the real culprit in the death of the brilliant poet.
The text of the poem has survived to this day in two parts: the first (to the words “And you, arrogant descendants...”) is an autograph; the subsequent lines that make up the second part are preserved only in copies.
Analysis of the text itself allows us to see in it several semantic parts, blocks, each of which is devoted to individual aspects of one general topic.
Yes, poetry “His killer in cold blood...” there is talk about Dantes, a French monarchist who, together with the court nobility, poisoned Pushkin and eventually became his murderer.
In many verses of the work there are echoes with the works of Alexander Sergeevich:
- “Like that unknown singer...”- here Lermontov recalls Lensky from Eugene Onegin;
- “Why from peaceful negs...”– and here there is a conscious interweaving with “Andrei Chenier”;
- It should also be said about Lermontov’s conscious borrowing of expressions from “Prisoner of the Caucasus”. It's about the line “The Poet is dead! - a slave of honor...".
Of greatest interest is the line “And you, arrogant descendants” and the following verses. Raevsky, a friend of Lermontov who contributed to the dissemination of the poems, testified that this part was written somewhat later than the rest of the text. And in it lies Lermontov’s reaction to the attempts of the court circle to justify Dantes and desecrate the bright image of Pushkin. One of the lists of the poem contained a list in which some of the names of those to whom these lines were dedicated were named. We were talking about that part of the aristocratic stratum that achieved position thanks to the agility of their fathers in their time.
But the caustic political acuity that literally permeates the entire work did not go unnoticed. As contemporaries testified, one of the copies of the poem was delivered to the king. As a result, Lermontov and Raevsky were arrested and brought to justice. The verdict passed against them stated:
Keep Raevsky under arrest for a month and then send him to Olonets province;
Lermontov was transferred to the Nizhny Novgorod Dragoon Regiment.
And this regiment at that time was part of the active army. So Lermontov went to the Caucasus...
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M.Yu. Lermontov wrote the poem “The Death of a Poet” under the impression of the death of A.S. Pushkin. For the poet, this event was a real shock and a bereavement. The death of the talented and young A.S. Pushkin was unexpected and absurd. M.Yu. Lermontov, wanting to find justice, wrote the poem “The Death of a Poet.”
In his work, M.Yu. Lermontov described the unjust, tragic and too early death of his colleague. In principle, the verse can be divided into two parts. The first half tells us about how the great A.S. Pushkin died back in 1937. You can read the author's protest between the lines. It consisted in the fact that M.Yu. Lermontov opposed the position of the authorities, who constantly criticized his colleague and comrade A.S. Pushkin. He condemns this behavior of high society towards a young and successful poet.
In the second part of the poem, M.Yu. Lermontov mocks everyone who participated in the murder of the writer. He reminds them that they should not underestimate the Judgment of God, which means that the culprit will definitely be punished.
This poetic work is written in a tragic style, but with elements of satire. The work combines two incompatible genres. But it was precisely these emotions that M.Yu. Lermontov was obsessed with when he wrote his work.
“The Death of a Poet” is a truly immortal creation. The author does his best to protest against the indifference of people. He does not understand how it is possible to cover up and justify a real criminal and is indifferent to the death of a great man.
The writer with his work wanted to draw attention to the fact that there is a huge problem in society. Namely, impunity for government officials and people close to them. Mikhail Yuryevich accuses high-ranking officials of exceeding their authority, and the public of complete indifference.
Analysis 2
Lermontov wrote the work “The Death of a Poet” under the impression and excitement that there was more of a great poet and writer. He died in a duel, stupid in his opinion, died at the hands of another opponent who killed him. It was Pushkin. A great writer of the early nineteenth century, a poet and simply a creative person.
Pushkin was killed, and therefore this news caused a lot of talk, controversy and grief among ordinary people who loved Pushkin, respected him, and loved his work. He was considered a great and very talented contemporary of his work. Therefore, they simply wanted to kill his opponent, who survived, beat him, do whatever they could to avenge the death of such a person.
In addition, in his work, which is dedicated to Pushkin, who died, but was still great to the end. Lermontov, in addition to Pushkin’s opponent, Dantes, who comes from an aristocratic family and enters this society, also accuses other people. These people are almost the entire society surrounding him, that is, high-society aristocrats, whom Lermontov could not tolerate so much. He considered them all hypocrites who falsely expressed regret that Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin had died. It was this and not only that that angered the poet Lermontov for a long time. Therefore, soon a work was published that was very angry, eloquent and passionate from all his soul, which was called “The Death of a Poet.”
The unfortunate and unjust death of Pushkin was avenged by Lermontov, who almost idolized and respected Pushkin, and his work was even stronger. Lermontov does not even try to carefully select offensive words against Dantes and high society; he is openly rude and speaks the naked truth. He didn’t even think that he could be punished for this brutal but true truth.
Analysis of the poem Death of a Poet - Lermontov for grade 9
It is no secret that Mikhail Yuryevich valued and respected Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin and he was shocked by the news of the death of his beloved writer. The boy Lermontov was the first to mourn him, dedicating the poem “Death of a Poet” to him, reproaching all those who violated the memory of this holy man. This work was written in 1837 in connection with what happened. The news of the duel reached the poet on February 9 and on the same day the poem spread throughout St. Petersburg. Not only his relatives mourned for him, but also his loving people. And therefore this work was to their liking .It was reread, taught, rewritten. It reached the authorities and those offended by the accusations sent him into exile to the Caucasus. Being himself a youth, Mikhail was faced with everyday adversities, people fighting for dominion.
He told about his feelings and thoughts about everything that happened. There is some truth in some of this. The image that Lermontov inspired us about Pushkin is not quite like that. Mikhail did not like society, he treated the world differently. He suffered from uncertainty and dissatisfaction throughout his entire life. life and passed off as reality the fact that Alexander Sergeevich was like that. And as it turned out, A.S. was above all this, he did not pay attention to these evil tongues. He was directed and strived for the future.
The creation supposedly consists of two parts: lyrical, sad content and comic ridicule of someone. Different in size and state of mind, style and tonality change dramatically.
At the beginning of the verse, he describes the tragedy. From his description, it immediately becomes clear that the reason for this is people from high society who mocked such an outstanding person, at any convenient opportunity. For them it was a game, insulting him indirectly or in some other way. For example, Tsar Nicholas 1 awarded him the rank of chamber cadet at the age of 34, when a similar rank was only assigned to 16-year-old boys to serve as court pages.
In his work, he openly talks about the hypocrisy of people who mocked his beloved poet, how they humiliated him during his life, and when he died, they tried on the mask of universal sorrow:
“Killed! Why sobs now,
Empty praise unnecessary chorus
And the pathetic babble of excuses?
Fate has reached its conclusion!"
And it hints that death was inevitable, because even in his youth, a fortune teller predicted the poet’s death in a duel and the appearance of the person who would fire the shot. And in the work there flashes such a mysterious line “fate has reached its conclusion.”
In no way does it justify the action of Dantes, on his hands the blood of a man whom he considered the greatest poet of Russian poetry. He says that Dantes despised the views that Pushkin praised. But still, these people knew that with their actions and provocations they were pitting Pushkin and Dantes against each other, which threatens human life. This is who Lermontov considers the real murderers
In the other half, he expresses himself concisely and sarcastically about people. Gives vent to feelings of pain and love. The poet describes them in rude words as arrogant descendants who, thanks to their family and roots, were born into the light of God. Lermontov is convinced that those golden youth cannot be bought for gold. The poet mentions this in his work. Before all these criminals, past and not, justice will still prevail. “And you will not wash away the righteous blood of the poet with all your black blood!” Lermontov is convinced. Without thinking that he himself will soon suffer the same fate and will take the short path of duels. .
And in conclusion, what can be called the third part of the verse, consisting of 16 lines, as if he is trying to avenge the death of his idol. He accuses, allegedly curses everyone who is involved in this. He points to the killer, expressing it in these words:
“You, standing in a thirsty crowd at the throne.
"Freedom, Genius and Glory are the executioners."
He sincerely believes that “God’s judgment” will punish the people guilty of this incident
Analysis of the poem The death of the poet according to plan
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Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov greatly respected Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin and loved his work. He was one of those who saw great talent in Pushkin, and in his poems significance, strength and unique style. For Lermontov, he was a real idol and role model, so the death of Alexander Sergeevich made a very strong impression on him. The very next day after the sad events that occurred on January 29, 1837, Mikhail Yuryevich wrote a poem, which he dedicated to his great contemporary - “The Death of a Poet.” An analysis of the work shows that although the author talks about Pushkin’s tragedy, he implies the fate of all poets.
The poem is divided into two parts. The first tells directly about the tragedy that occurred in the winter of 1837, and the second part is an appeal to the killers of a genius, a kind of curse that Lermontov sends to the entire high society. “The Death of a Poet,” the analysis of which shows all the pain and despair of the author, is a direct indictment of the entire society, which did not appreciate and humiliated Pushkin during his life, and after his death depicted universal sorrow. Mikhail Yuryevich understood perfectly well that he could be punished for such insolence, but still he could not restrain himself and remain silent.
The poem uses the word "assassin" rather than duelist or rival. This is explained by the fact that Lermontov does not mean Dantes himself, but the society that pushed Pushkin to such an act, incited hostility between rivals, and slowly killed the poet with constant humiliations and insults. The author talks about all this in the poem “The Death of a Poet.”
An analysis of the work shows with what hatred and malice the author treats all princes, counts and kings. At that time, poets were treated like court jesters, and Pushkin was no exception. did not miss a single opportunity to prick and humiliate the poet; it was a kind of fun. At the age of 34, Alexander Sergeevich was awarded the title of chamber cadet, which is awarded to 16-year-old boys. There was no strength to endure such humiliation and all this poisoned the heart of the great genius.
Everyone knew perfectly well about the upcoming duel, but no one stopped the bloodshed, even though they understood that the life of a man who, during his short creative life, had made a significant contribution to the development of Russian literature was under threat. Indifference towards the life of a talented person, disdain for one’s own culture - all this is described in the poem “The Death of a Poet.” Analysis of the work makes it clear the general mood of the author.
At the same time, as the analysis shows, the poet’s death was predetermined by fate. Even in his youth, a fortune teller predicted Pushkin's death during a duel and described in detail the appearance of his killer. Lermontov understands this; this is what the line from the verse says: “the verdict of fate has been fulfilled.” The talented Russian, from the hand of Dantes, and the author of the poem “The Death of a Poet,” the analysis of which clearly shows Lermontov’s position, does not justify him in the least, although he does not consider him the main culprit of the tragic events.
In the second part of the work, the poet turns to which destroyed Pushkin. He is sure that they will be punished, if not on earth, then in heaven. Lermontov is sure that the genius died not from a bullet, but from the indifference and contempt of society. When writing the poem, Mikhail Yuryevich did not even suspect that he himself would die in a duel just a few years later.
History of creation
The analysis of Lermontov’s poem “The Death of a Poet” should begin with the historical events that occurred that led Lermontov to write this work. In January 1837, Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin died. The news of the death of such a talented person as Pushkin in his prime greatly shocked Mikhail Yuryevich. The tragic death under rather absurd circumstances did not give Lermontov any peace. In a fit of despair and thirst for justice, the author writes the poem “The Death of a Poet.” There is an opinion that in this work Lermontov expresses his disagreement with the policies of the state and many high-ranking officials who justify the behavior of the murderer A.S. Pushkin.
This work was written in such a genre acceptable to Russian people that it immediately became beloved and famous among a wide range of readers. The work was rewritten, quoted and memorized. Despite the fact that the poem is dedicated to the death of a specific person, whose fate was cut short in a tragic way, the poet also puts into his creation the eternal question of the confrontation between good and evil, dark and light forces. In the work “The Death of a Poet,” Pushkin’s life path is presented as the numerous destinies of millions of talented people who died very early.
What is this poem about?
The poem “Death of a Poet” describes the unjust and early death of a young and talented author. Conventionally, the entire poem can be divided into two halves. The first half contains a full description of the tragic death of A.S. Pushkin in 1837. If you carefully read the written lines, Lermontov’s disagreement with the position of high society, which more than once criticized and mocked Pushkin, becomes clear. In this work, Lermontov condemns the arrogant attitude of high society towards a talented poet.
The second half of the work is written as a mockery of those responsible for the poet’s death. It is not for nothing that Lermontov calls those who ridicule Pushkin’s work “arrogant descendants” of illustrious fathers. The poet expresses himself against the prevailing opinion in society and talks about the Judgment of God, which cannot be bought. In addition, in his work the poet talks about the mandatory punishment awaiting the culprit in Pushkin’s death.
Genre
Analyzing the verse “Death of a Poet” by Lermontov, one can undoubtedly discern in its lines not only tragedy, but also moments of satire. And indeed the lyrical work is designed in a genre that combines elegy and satire. The drama of the events surrounding the death of Pushkin is fully revealed in the first part of the poem. Elements of satire and even sarcasm are present in the last 16 lines of the work. Such a rare combination of two elements of life that are opposite in meaning, such as elegy and satire, best reflects the state of Lermontov’s inner world. The tragedy associated with the death of Pushkin, as a great talent of Russia, is replaced by a ghostly attitude towards the opinion of the public, which is not worth a particle of the deceased person.
The main idea of the poem
The ideological meaning of Lermontov’s immortal work “The Death of a Poet” lies in the author’s protest of the established social position, which covers up the criminal and is indifferent to the loss of a literary genius. Lermontov connects the death of Pushkin, as an opponent of the stagnant views of a wealthy society, with a rebellion against outdated views on the worldview and the origin of man.
In his work “The Death of a Poet,” Lermontov considers the rich foundations of those close to the sovereign to be the theme and driving force of society. Pushkin, who rebelled against such a misunderstanding of the world, was ignored and avoided by society. The loneliness and absurd death of a talented person ignites the internal fire of confrontation and defense in the soul of young Lermontov. Mikhail Yuryevich understands that it is quite difficult to resist one person against an entire social structure, but Pushkin dared and was not afraid of the anger of high-ranking officials. With this poem, Lermontov shows the guilt of society in the death of the poet.
Method of versification
Despite the tragedy and sarcasm that predominate in the work, Lermontov uses numerous techniques of versification. The comparisons are clearly visible in the work: “Fade out like a torch,” “The solemn wreath has faded.” The author of the poem connects Pushkin’s life with a candle that illuminated the path, but died out too early. The second half of the poem is full of antitheses between the light of the poet and the darkness of society. The use of epithets: “empty heart”, “bloody moment” and metaphors: “pathetic babble of justification”, “abandoned to catch happiness and rank” adds additional artistic expressiveness to the work.
After reading this work, what remains in my soul is a response to the death of the poet and opposition to the wrong death of talent.
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